Ski Resort Jobs In The Alps For Nannies And Childcare Staff

Ski Resort Nanny And Childcare Jobs In The Alps

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There are two main ways to get a job before you go caring for children in a ski resort. Find work through an au pair or nanny agency or get yourself hired by a tour operator or chalet company.

There is no shortage in this world of children or jobs looking after them. If you are the right age and gender (girls always find childcare work far easier than boys) and desire an au pair position in, for example, Italy but do not mind where, an agency will be only too happy to round you up, hand you your ticket and send you on your way.

Somewhere more specific, say Rome or Florence, might require a little more waiting before the right job can be found for you, but found one will be. But contemplate working above the snowline and the competition starts getting fierce.

   

Nanny Agencies

There are hundreds of au pair and nanny agencies out there. A fair number can be found in or via the au pair and nanny pages of our directory but unless they have clients on their books living in a ski resort the chances of finding a job amongst the cold white stuff are zip.

While I’m sure many agencies do have such clients from time to time, My Travelling Nanny specifically states they offer child carers to parents living or visiting the Alps. They advertised in the Jobs Abroad Bulletin a few years ago and while the ad has long expired it still gives a good idea of their requirements.

There are an increasing number of agencies that specialise in recruiting nannies for ski resorts. Most are based in French ski resorts and established by avid skiers spotting a gap in the market, often inspired by their own difficulties in finding good childcare for their own children. Most child carers are placed with smaller tour operators, chalet companies and hotels catering to British tourists.

Qualifications vary from agency to agency but while babysitting experience will be enough for most au pair agencies the ante is upped for wannabe Alpine nannies. Expect to need an EU passport, between six months and two years’ experience in a working environment, enhanced CRB disclosure, a first aid certificate and a childcare qualification such as NVQ, BTEC or equivalent, to be aged over 21 and speak English.

Non smoking drivers with food hygiene knowledge, cooking skills and other languages will be especially sought after. Nannies do not need to be qualified or expected to teach or accompany children on skis.

In return successful applicants will receive free accommodation, flights, food, days off to ski, access to ski equipment, a lift pass and maybe a contract completion bonus.

Some agencies provide nannies to their local area only. Morzine has Cheeky Monkeys and the Portes du Soleil ski resort – including the village of Champery over the border in Switzerland – may still be served by Jack Frosts.

Merinannies started in Meribel but has expanded its operations across the 3 Valleys and into the Mont Blanc and Grand Massif ski areas. They can also place nannies in Switzerland and Austria and once the snow melts in summer resorts in Greece, Portugal and France.

Hard times recently seem to have done for a number of other agencies that once could have provided work in France but Jelly and Ice Cream are still around. Try them if looking to work in Val d’Isère, Tignes, Sainte Foy, Meribel and Courchevel.

Tour Operators & Chalet Companies

Numerous tour operators and independent chalet companies hire their own childcare staff directly. If a company deals in family holidays then it is likely they will need childcare staff to keep an eye on their holidaymakers’ children in one form or another. This can be either in a traditional one on one or small group nanny role or more along the lines of keeping the kids amused and occupied in a children’s club.

Qualifications vary depending on the role. Nannies will require much the same qualifications and experience as nanny agencies do but children’s club reps will only need their background checked, a first aid certificate and bags of enthusiasm and energy. Most British tour operators working on the continent now require staff to have an EU passport. EU nationals should also start checking the websites of ski companies offering family holidays to their fellow citizens.

At the larger end of the market Crystal Holidays, part of the TUI group recruits via careers.tuigroup.com/crystal-jobs. They have several ski resort roles for childcare staff, including nannies, childcare supervisors and children’s club leaders and assistants. Crystal operates in almost all European winter destinations including Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland, and also Andorra, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Spain and further afield in the USA, Canada and Japan.

Esprit Ski focus their ski operation in the Alps only and send holidaymakers to 11 resorts across France and another five in Austria, Italy and Switzerland. They state: “All our nurseries are run by professionally qualified Nursery Nurses – NNEB, B Tech, NVQ 2/3, CACHE DCE 3 or equivalent trained.” Most nurseries also have nursery assistants to support the nannies. Esprit has a dedicated recruitment site at www.workaseason.com.

Work A Season

The Work a Season site also handles the recruitment for the Ingham brand and the Scandinavia focused Santa’s Lapland. From a childcare perspective, the most interesting position is Lapland Elf. No childcare qualifications are required for this role (but it is desirable). Instead, Lapland elves should have acting, theatre or drama experience and qualifications, and customer service experience.

Two other larger tour operators are Mark Warner and Neilson. Mark Warner nannies are based in the crèche in one of their hotels in Austria, France and Italy. Nannies should be qualified or have two years full time childcare experience. Your responsibility will be to provide fun, creative and safe activities for children from four months to 12 years. Activities can include snowman building, hot chocolate trips and sledging. Head nannies with supervisory knowledge and organisational skills in all aspects of creche/nursery management are also wanted. Neilson‘s childcare roles are for nannies and children’s club staff.

Nanny positions in six French ski resorts are offered on a rota basis by Ski Beat, either in their crèche, afternoon childcare or as a private nanny with children aged three months to seven years. Ski Beat nannies have two free days off each week to enjoy skiing and only have to babysit one evening during the week.

Another company to try is Scott Dunn which has come a long way from operating out of a terraced house in Tooting Bec that I used to walk past on the way to the pub. Smaller companies that operate in a handful of resorts to try are Family Ski Company and Ski Famille, Alp Leisure and VIP Ski.

Other resort operations looking for childcare staff include Purple Ski (Meribel and Val d’Isère) and Premier Neige (St Foy). Another prospect, Simon Butler Skiing, has finally been beaten by Covid despite the owner winning his court case to continue teaching in France, after receiving fines of thousands of euros and a suspended prison sentence.

Other Au Pair & Nanny Websites

We missed Alpine Child Care when we first wrote this post on an earlier version of our blog but they left a comment asking for inclusion so here they are. They act as an introductory agent, connecting self employed nannies with families looking for child care for their ski holidays. We have reproduced their full comment at the bottom of this page, though it should be noted last we looked (in 2023) they paid 20 Euros per hour, not 16.

Ski Season Recruitment Websites

We list numerous ski tour operators and ski resort websites in our directory and also carry job listings in the Jobs Abroad Bulletin. Other good sites to try are Season Workers and Ski-Jobs.co.uk.

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Images courtesy stevendepolo, Dan Harrelson, Marcus Hansson and leighblackall.

 

 

 

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blog // magazine // working abroad > ski resorts + au pair & nanny jobs

This piece was first published in an older version of our blog which included the following comments:

Suzie said: “Hi there, Would you be able to add us to your article on Nanny Companies in The Alps. We link families looking for child care with independent & agency nannies in all ski resorts across the Alps.